1. Astronomers last week said the Hubble Space Telescope has detected the earliest galaxy yet. Their research, not yet confirmed, was published in the journal Nature.

How many years away do the astronomers say this early galaxy is?

Nearly 13.2 billion light years ago.

More to consider: Some other astronomers are skeptical about the claim. Study co-author Garth Illingworth, of the University of California Santa Cruz, said there is a 20 percent chance that what the researchers have identified is not an early galaxy, but “we’re pretty sure it’s a real object.”

The farther away a galaxy, the longer it takes for light from it to travel, so seeing the most distant galaxies is like looking back in time. If the new research is correct, light from the newly found galaxy would have traveled 13.2 billion light years to be seen by Hubble.

2. Scientists have discovered a dinosaur species that stood only about a yard high but was a relative of the mighty T. Rex. What made it more unusual is that it had just one claw. They named the new monodactyl theropod species the Linhenykus monodactylus.

In which country was the dinosaur fossil found?

China. The Linhenykus monodactylus fossil was found in the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai formation near Inner Mongolia’s Linhe city, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

3. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, a federal test known as the Nation’s Report Card, came out in late January 2011 with some bad news about American students’ science proficiency. Overall, just 34 percent of fourth-graders, 30 percent of eighth-graders and 21 percent of 12th-graders scored at the proficient level or above. And students doing better than that, showing the advanced skills that could lead to careers in science and technology, were even fewer.

What percentage of four-grade students scored in this highest group? What percent of eight-graders scored in this group? What percent of 12-graders did so?

Only 1 percent of fourth-graders, 2 percent of eighth-graders and 1 percent of 12-graders scored in the highest group.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the results mean students aren’t learning at a rate that will maintain the nation’s role as an international leader in the sciences. He and others expressed concern that more students aren’t prepared for careers as inventors, doctors and engineers in a world increasingly driven by technology. “Our ability to create the next generation of U.S. leaders in science and technology is seriously in danger,” said Alan Friedman, former director of the New York Hall of Science, and a member of the board that oversees the test.

4. A study has suggested a possible cause of the honeybee illness plaguing U.S. bees. Scientists at the University of Montana and at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center near Baltimore have found a correlation between colony collapse disorder and a lethal combination of two invaders. Now that they’ve found the pattern, they will do further research to see whether it is in fact causing the disorder.

One of the two invaders is a parasite. What is the other invader?

A virus.

Why it matters: Colony collapse disorder can destroy 60 to 70 percent of bee colonies in an operation. Not only does this hurt beekeepers’ bottom lines, it reduces the number of bees available to pollinate food crops.

5. British scientists looking to fight cancer instead say they've found something to boost mood. They injected a substance into lung cancer patients, hoping it would prompt their immune systems to destroy tumors. It did not fight cancer, but it improved patient's moods, likely by causing their brains to release large amounts of serotonin. Immodulon Therapeutics, of London, will next try the injection in prostate cancer patients. If those patients also see improved moods, researchers say they might pursue anti-depression drugs that mimic the substance's effect.